We are secure in the hands of Jesus
He holds on to us.
He Provides protection for us.
He intends to keep us safe.
God has put everything necessary for our eternal salvation into operation:
1. The Spirit
2. The Blood
3. The Name
4. The Word
5. The Church
2. Yet, we struggle with the world, the flesh and the devil.
Do these enemies make any difference?
2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Hebrews 12:14-17 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
3. God is not the cause of any of our spiritual problems.
a. God does not tempt anyone to sin.
James 1:13-16 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
We tend to blame everything else.
- My friends put pressure on me.
- My spouse fights me.
- The church isn’t meeting my needs.
- My job makes requirements of me.
- I don’t understand why.
4. All spiritual problems begin within our own hearts.
14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
5. We are still in possession of our own lusts.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2 Peter 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
Jude 1:16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.
6. Evidently, there are powerful motivating forces within our human hearts to make us act in certain ways.
a. Envy. A feeling of resentment and jealousy toward another person because of his possessions or good qualities.
- James 4:5 Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?
- Proverbs 14:30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
- Proverbs 23:17 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
- Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
b. Vanity.
VAIN, VANITY.
- 1. Something vain, empty, fruitless,
- 2. Heb. shaw’ has the meaning of “desolation”;
- 3. Greek: mataiotes corresponds to shaw’ and means that which is devoid of truth and appropriateness
- Galatians 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, Provoking one another, envying one another.
- Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Vanity has come to mean an obsession with appearance, grooming and adorning oneself so as to attract attention, or to emphasize a supposed aspect of beauty.
1 Peter 3:1-6 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
- Pride
- Greed
- Hatred
- Jealousy
- Lust
- Bitterness
7. These forces are attitudes and dispositions that arise out of an unkept heart.
(What happens to an unkept garden?)
- Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
- Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.
- Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
8. How do we keep our hearts?
- Hebrews 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
- Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
- 1 Peter 3:4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
- Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.
- Proverbs 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.